Get Your Reps In: “To Live and Die in L.A.” With Cowboy Cop Antics

To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)

More than anything, To Live and Die in L.A. feels like an attempt by William Friedkin to outdo his previous crime thriller, the Oscar-winning French Connection. The winner is up to viewers to decide, but Live and Die remains one of the late director’s best: a neo-noir caper with a sharp script and the occasional burst of grindhouse violence. Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William Petersen) begins his pursuit of forger Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe) cliché enough—no bonus points for guessing what happens to Chance’s soon-to-retire partner, Jim (Michael Greene). Where it differs is that Chance’s quest for vengeance isn’t righteous but reckless. His cowboy cop antics invariably cause more trouble than they’re worth, and Chance himself seems little more than an adrenaline junkie, if not an outright psychopath. This culminates in a mid-film car chase through the City of Angels that took six weeks to shoot, ran $1 million over budget, and remains one of the best action sequences ever put to screen. Add in a memorable cast of up-and-coming favorites (John Turturro! Dean Stockwell! Robert Downey Sr.!) and a synth-tastic score by new wave stars Wang Chung, and you’ve got a gem of ’80s cop drama and a favorite of one of Hollywood’s best auteurs. Hollywood, May 27.

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